Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 15 February 2022 to Question 120801 on Housing: Regional Planning and Development, whether the planned legally binding Decent Home Standard will include a requirement for all homes to be free of gas safety risks.
We are committed to driving up standards in private rented accommodation and we will be consulting on introducing a legally binding Decent Homes Standard (DHS) in the Private Rented Sector.
Rented homes must already be free of the most serious ‘category 1’ hazards, which include but are not limited to issues such as electrical and fire safety, dampness and cold assessed using the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS). We are reviewing the HHSRS to ensure the system is more accessible and easier to understand for landlords and tenants, and facilitates the effective enforcement of housing standards by local authorities.
We will publish a White Paper in spring this year that will set out our proposals for reform of the private rented sector.